Jane Green

The British author of Swapping Lives, The Other Woman and Jemima J is back with a new novel, Second Chance. The book follows a group of high-school friends who are reunited after many years to mourn the death of their friend Tom, who was killed in a terrorist attack. In addition to being a best-selling author, Jane is mom to four kids—Harrison, 7, Tabitha, 5, and twins Nate and Jasper, 4—as well as an avid gardener.

What was your inspiration for Second Chance?

I wanted to write about grief. I lost a friend in the tsunami in Thailand, and I was completely blindsided by the grief—I hadn't expected it, having only lost elderly relatives or people who had been ill for a very long time. And, just as I started writing, my marriage started unraveling, so I was able to process a lot of that through my writing.

All of the characters in your novel seem stuck. Holly's in a bad marriage, Saffron is in love with a married A-list actor, and so on. Do you have any advice on how to avoid or get out of those ruts?

I don't think they should be avoided. The hurdles in life make us grow and make us into better people. My advice to other people is: You just have to work through it and know that everything passes. [When a peer passes away,] you find that over time, it becomes easier to live with. After a while, you're able to look back and remember the person with affection and love. The memories bring a smile to your face rather than tears.

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What do you like to do for fun with your kids?

I garden with them and grow all our vegetables. My kids adore edamame, so we've got tons of that. We made a teepee out of bamboo sticks and string, and we're growing squash and gourds up the teepee. And we'll often throw dinner in the little red wagon, wander down to the beach and have picnics. I'm not a huge fan of over-scheduling the children. I would much rather the kids were playing and using their imagination.

What's your desperation dinner?

My favorite is turkey and apple burgers. I've always got ground turkey in the freezer, so I stick it in the microwave to defrost it. I mix it with a grated apple, an egg, either breadcrumbs or flour, a stock cube and seasoning. I form it into patties, stick it on the grill, and it's delicious! The kids love it.

What's your favorite drugstore beauty product?

I'm much happier in drugstores looking at beauty products than I am at the smart shops. I love Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisturizer. I'm a big fan of Aveeno stuff generally.

What is the last thing you do before you go to bed at night?

I have a shower. I've suddenly developed—I think this is slightly obsessive-compulsive, but—I've developed this thing in the last year where I cannot get between the sheets unless I'm clean, so in winter, I have a long hot bubble bath and in the summer I have a shower!—Jennifer Conrad

photo by Sigrid Estrada

Do you agree with Jane's thoughts on grief? And will you read this book? Let us know in the Comments.

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